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87 BCE
Antikythera Mechanism
The worlds oldest known analogue computer. Evidence suggests, however, that it was not the first of its kind. -
First known use of the word "computer".
In the book "The Yong Mans Gleanings" by Richard Braithwait. He was referring to a person who does calculations. -
Difference Engine
A mechanical calculator created by Charles Babbage. -
Torpedo Data Computer
An electromechanical computer created by the US Navy in 1938. -
Colossus
A set of computers developed in Britain during World War II.
It was used for codebreaking.
It was the first programmable electronic digital computer in the world. -
ENIAC: Electronic Numerical Integrator and Computer
It was primarily used to calculate missile trajectories.
The first programmable electronic computer built in the US. -
Williams Tube
The world's first true random access memory -
SSEM: Small-Scale Experimental Machine
"Manchester Baby"
The world's first stored-program computer.
It was built as a testbed for the Williams tube -
Ferranti Mark 1
The world's first commercially available computer -
A-o
A program that allows a computer to use English instead of just numbers.
It was invented by Grace Hopper. -
IBM 650
IBM's first mass-produced computer.
It was one of the first computers to become popular in universities. -
Researchers at MIT experiment with keyboards
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RAMAC 305
One of the first magnetic hard disk drives -
UNIMATE
The world's first industrial robot.
It worked on a General Motors assembly line. -
SpaceWar!
One of the first video games. -
Rancho Arm
One of the first computer-operated mechanical arms. -
Brown Box
The first dedicated video game console designed to be connected to a television. -
RS-232-C is introduced.
A predecessor to USB. -
The first ATMs are introduced to the public.
Fun fact: Some of the paper used by these early ATMs is a little bit radioactive so that the machine can read it. -
Computer Space
One of the earliest arcade games. -
HP-35
One of the first handheld calculators. -
The first email is sent
It is unknown exactly what it said, but it was likely "QWERTYUIOP" or something similar -
Pong is released
One of the first video games to become extremely popular -
Apple 1 is released
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Star Wars is released
It was one of the most technically advanced films of its time. -
Atari 2600 is released
One of the first video game consoles to be a major success -
Computers are installed in the White House
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Commodore VIC-20
The first computer to sell over 1 million units. -
Seagate ST506
The first modern hard drive -
IBM Releases their first PC
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CD-ROM is invented
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Nintendo NES is released
This console is credited with single-handedly reviving the video game industry after the crash in 1983. It launched with Super Mario Bros, which is the seventh best selling video game of all time. In fact, it is one of over 20 Nintendo-published titles on the list of the 50 best best selling video games. -
Windows is released
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"Tin Toy" Released
The first computer-animated film to win an academy award. -
The Linux operating system is released
It soon became a free alternative to Windows. -
ESRB is founded
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DVD is introduced
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Java is introduced
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The MQ-1 Predator drone is introduced
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WiFi is introduced
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Y2K
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USB flashdrives are introduced
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MySpace is launched
One of the first major social media platforms. -
"Google" is added to dictionaries as a verb.
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The iPhone is released
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Android is released
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Bitcoin is introduced
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Siri is introduced
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Minecraft is released
Aside from Tetris, it is the best selling video game of all time. -
Raspberry Pi is released
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Net Neutrality is passed.
